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Proposal to add whale distribution layers to nautical charts wins support, NOAA flags technical limits
Summary
The Whale Charts Act (HR 73‑32) would fund mapping, surveys and grants to reduce whale‑vessel interactions; NOAA supports better data but noted cartographic standards and international requirements limit immediate implementation of new chart layers.
NOAA's Timothy Petty told the subcommittee that improved mapping and survey of whale calving, feeding and migration areas can support safer navigation and whale conservation. He described the Whale Charts Act as directing NOAA to map migratory whale populations and establish a competitive grant program to fund research and technology to reduce vessel conflicts, but he cautioned that NOAA "is not currently able to meet the bill's specific requirements to produce additional chart layers" without reconciling international hydrographic standards and vessel carriage rules.
Members from coastal districts, including Representative Min, described increasing strandings and vessel‑strike risks, and they urged closer coordination with the Coast Guard and other agencies. Witnesses and members said better data would improve stock assessments and management actions, while NOAA recommended further consultations to align the bill's technical expectations with charting standards and vessel operations.
